Equitorial Guinea

[Aerlik]

Coup plotter's Bloody Sunday role
Simon Mann, the former British soldier sentenced to 34 years in jail for his role in an African coup plot, made his sole foray into the acting world in 2002 in a drama about Bloody Sunday.

Mann played the role of Colonel Derek Wilford, commander of the paratroopers who fired on marchers in Londonderry in 1972.

The 2002 production Bloody Sunday starred James Nesbitt as civil rights campaigner Ivan Cooper.


Mann told the Guardian newspaper he took the part to "defend the Army".

However, he described the events of Bloody Sunday as a "c**k-up".

Paul Greengrass, the director and writer of Bloody Sunday, said Mann was a "humane man, but an adventurer... very English, a romantic, tremendously good company".

On Monday, Mann was jailed for 34 years and four months by a court in Equatorial Guinea for his role in a 2004 coup plot.

The verdict followed Mann's trial in the capital Malabo last month in which he admitted conspiring to oust President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.


The former special forces officer, 56, had expressed remorse, saying he was not the most senior coup plotter.

Mann was held in 2004 with 64 others in Zimbabwe before being extradited.

He served four years in a prison in the country for trying to purchase weapons without a licence.

Mann is also believed to have served in Northern Ireland during his Army career.



...what's the chances he spills the beans on Thatcher?

[ziggysego]

Urgh, that's a horrible thought....

[haranguerer]

On Monday, Mann was jailed for 34 years and four months by a court in Equatorial Guinea for his role in a 2004 coup plot.

Theres really no excuse...   

[under the bar]

I wonder if Thatcher will go on hunger strike to prove his innocence?

[Niall Quinn]

On Monday, Mann was jailed for 34 years and four months by a court in Equatorial Guinea for his role in a 2004 coup plot.

Theres really no excuse...   

No excuse for what?

[haranguerer]

Was feeling righteous...
Check the thread title against the correct spelling, as contained in the piece itself. Theres really no excuse! 

[Niall Quinn]

Theres really no excuse! 

'

[haranguerer]

Yeah yeah yeah, when you start correcting others you deserve what you get. It wasn't contradictory in fairness though!

I apologise abjectly Aerlik, I just realised you must have felt the same wave of malevolence towards me as I do now towards St Quinn here.

[rosnarun]

Well done for spotting the big issue here

[haranguerer]

Big issue? Well, dont keep us in the dark!
That a wannabe actor tried to take over the world? 34 years sounded like a pretty satisfactory conclusion to me.
As for spilling the beans on Thatcher, that was tried a while ago, he bargained and got 4 years, suspended. Done and dusted, I thought.

[ziggysego]

Surely if new evidence comes to light, he can be taken up again.

[haranguerer]

Yes, he could. But having Sir in front of his name would no doubt greatly discourage any such attempt. Also, noone will extradite him to Eqatorial Guinea either, except for, I would guess, Libya, Zimbabwe, Iran, and Cuba, and he wont be going to any of these places for his holidays.
There's oil there too, and the coup apparently went much higher into government than just Thatcher. Its also pretty unstable. A blind guess would be that the current head honcho will be overthrown soon enough, and replaced with a puppet. This time however, South Africa will be cut in on the deal, so they'll keep their mouths shut. Mugabe will also be shot before too long, (ostensibly by his own people of course), so noones left round those parts to shout about it.
Mann will also be released quicksmart.

[Niall Quinn]

Eqatorial Guinea

Was this intentional?!

[haranguerer]

Of course. Had a bet on you'd jump on it. Thanks, you've just won me £20.